Guests & Speakers
The people bringing these stories to the screen.
Directors, storytellers, facilitators and performers — here this September as part of Watch Africa Film Festival.
Workshops, talks and making.
Bevin Magama
Facilitator, African Storytelling Workshop · Saturday, Cinema Foyer
Discover the art of African storytelling with Bevin Magama in this engaging, interactive workshop at the Watch-Africa Film Festival. Through guided exercises, creative prompts, and shared experiences, participants will explore how stories connect us, preserve culture, and inspire change. Drawing on African storytelling traditions alongside contemporary approaches, Bevin will help participants develop their voice, build confidence, and craft compelling narratives. Open to participants of all backgrounds and experience levels, this workshop is an invitation to listen, create, and share stories that celebrate identity, imagination, and community.
Idrissa Camara
Facilitator, African Dance Workshop · Saturday 15:00–16:00, Dance Studio
Experience the power of movement, rhythm, and storytelling in this dynamic dance workshop led by Idrissa Camara as part of the Watch-Africa Film Festival. Drawing on West African dance traditions and contemporary performance practices, Idrissa invites participants of all experience levels to explore the cultural significance of movement, connect with live rhythms, and discover dance as a powerful form of expression and community.
Laku Neg Adeola Dawis
Speaker, Unmasking the Mask · Sunday, Cinema Foyer
Meet Adéọlá Originally from Trinidad, I am an artist-researcher living in Wales since 2003. I am interested in carnival, masquerade and ritual and the ways in which we perform our fragments – the ways we express identity and belonging in the diaspora – through memory, re-imagination and the making of sacred spaces. Laku (Lakou) means 'yard' - the space where creative making, sharing and conversations take place. Nèg translates to 'Black' within Haitian Kréyòl. We call ourselves Laku Neg as a symbol of our embodiment of home/Land and the many places we call home, the practices of empowerment and the creative nature of resistance.
Music, rhythm and colour across the weekend.
Samandaal
DJ, Akwaaba Launch Party · Friday, Concourse
Samandaal opens the festival weekend with a set spanning the continent and its diaspora.
Suntou Susso
AN INTERACTIVE SOUND & STORY WORKSHOP SATURDAY, 16:40
A hands-on session with West African instruments, rhythm and improvisation in the Dance Studio.
Paskaline
BODY AND FACE PAINTING WORKSHOP — SUNDAY, 12:00
Drop-in face painting for families and festival-goers throughout Saturday afternoon.
More guests announced through the summer.
WAFF Club members hear guest announcements first.